


How Can I Call Myself a Hero Now?

by ARSONjST



Series: The Clairvoyant and The Illusionist [3]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angels, Angst, Found Family, GRAPHIC. FIGHTING., Humonculi, Philza just has another terrible day, So much death, So so so much fighting, not a very happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:54:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27585047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ARSONjST/pseuds/ARSONjST
Summary: The fae hunters finally come, an event Philza knew would happen. But not even his days of charging up energy can prepare him for this mess, not even having Niki and Wilbur on his side can save him.Technoblade really hates finding his family's messes after they happen, too.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Series: The Clairvoyant and The Illusionist [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2013421
Comments: 3
Kudos: 136





	How Can I Call Myself a Hero Now?

**Author's Note:**

> Putting another graphic violence warning because this is not fun :/  
> but we need it for the content, chat !

Tubbo skidded across the ground and huffed, sitting up as Tommy cheered from where he stood, walking over to a tree and using his pocket knife to carve a line on the left side of the tree.

"Six for Tommy, four for Tubbo!" Tommy turns, grinning, "Which means I win! Best of six!"

"Best out of ten?" Tubbo chuckles as Tommy walks over to help him up.

"Maybe tomorrow, my back has been killing me since last night." Tommy cracked his back and Tubbo snickered, slugging him on the shoulder before bending down to check the panels on his leg.

"I told you sparring with Techno wasn't going to end well!" He spoke while hanging upside down, " But can you help me with this panel, I think it came loose while we were sparring."

"Yeah yeah, whatever Tubbo." Tommy kneeled to help him despite his sarcastic nature. The two popped the panel out and checked the slots for it. Tommy hummed and popped it back in with a soft hiss from Tubbo.

"How much does it hurt? Do we need to turn the sensitivity down?" Tommy looked up, panicked.

Tubbo shook his head immediately, "No, it's the usual amount. It's only a month old so my body isn't used to it yet."

"Wonderful tech.." A new voice speaks and both boys stand fully, Tubbo shoving Tommy behind him.

"Who are you..? Where are you?" Tubbo looks around, feeling a mix of anger and regret bubbling in his stomach. Tommy goes to step back into the house but suddenly the door is blocked by a man with a gun, Tubbo grabs Tommy's arm and tries to book it into the woods but armed hunters pop out behind every tree around them.

"They're Soul Hunters, look at the patch on their jackets." He whispers to Tommy who nods. Tommy drops to his hands and knees and starts to draw an alchemy symbol. Tubbo stands on guard, his hands flicking nervously as he tries to predict what they're going to do.

"Philza!" Tommy calls, glancing towards the house that looks empty suddenly, "Niki! Wilbur!"

"C'mon kid, just let us see that leg!" One hunter yells as he charges at Tubbo. Tommy stands, a newly made staff in his hand and anger in his eyes. He shoves Tubbo down to protect him, and swings at the hunter, sending him crashing to the ground. More hunters begin to rush forward and Tommy swings at them while focusing on his thoughts. He had to use some sort of psionics here and now. Suddenly a small group of men scream and collapse to their knees.

"Haha! Yes!" Tommy cheers. Tubbo ducks under a hunter's arms, hastily trying to run to the cabin but more Hunters come out of nowhere and grab him. His scream is what alerts Tommy who immediately freezes up.

"Tubbo!" Tommy screams, guttural and raw.

"Tommy! Help!" Tubbo screams, thrashing in their grip. Before Tommy can react, a guard kicks him and in the stomach and throws him against a tree nearby. He coughs and stutters, wiping at his bloody lip. The hunters are trying to pry at Tubbo's leg and he thrashes, biting, scratching, spitting, and hitting and smacking as best he can. The trees begin to morph and bend, branches curling and extending, vines dropping down and grabbing the guards, slamming them roughly against trees and holding them there. Philza steps out from the cabin, his eyes glowing a brilliant white. His jacket has been discarded and his wings puff up in agitation. Philza had never reacted so quickly, but the sight of guns drawn at Tubbo, Tommy against the tree, the hunters trying to pry open Tubbo's leg, it had made him sick.

"Didn't I tell your group of goons _not_ to mess with _my sons_?" Philza snarls, using the vines to yank the rest of the hunters off of Tubbo who runs behind him to hide. Tommy slowly pulls himself off the ground but doesn't need to walk, as Philza uses some of the vines to lift him and set him behind him. Angrily, Philza turned and his wings shot out to hide the boys behind him.

"Boys. Get inside." Philza says coldly. Tommy nods and Tubbo wraps an arm under him, helping him into the house.

"Now. Let's dance, gentle-people." Philza shoots into the air. Taking a moment to collect himself. This was his burden, if they took him, culled him for his wings, so be it. But god, he was not about to let them hurt his sons.

Using the vines he lifted bodies, strung them around, and chucked them distances that would kill the average person. Lifting the leader of the group he smiles, letting a vine slowly tighten around his throat as his goons watch in horror. He blinks, feeling the warm blood hit his face like water out of a popped bottle cap and he dropped the body down onto some of the men below. Suddenly there's a piercing pain in his back, someone had shot an arrow into him, hadn't they? He had been so angry at one man, he hadn't been watching. Philza flaps his wings in agonizing pain, trying to use vines to pull the men around before more hunters show up, and one scream.

"Get his wings! They'll give us a fortune!"

Ropes are thrown at him and he manages to dodge most, but one wraps around his wounded wing and yanks down. He usually would be able to hold himself up with these ropes, but the wing buckles and pops, disconnecting at his shoulder. He screams in agony, trying to stay in the air. A bullet pierces through his arm and he screams again. Niki barrels out of the cabin and the wind quickly picks up. Philza can't stay in the air with these conditions anymore, so he crashes to the ground where hunters run towards him with swords raised. Niki screams towards them and a wall of wind sends them flying backward.

"What is she?" one of the men scream and Niki glares at them as her eyes begin to glow a similar white hue, like Philza's.

"The fae?" One yells and Niki cackles, letting her pure white wings fold out. The men scream in fear as the woman shoots into the air, using wind currents to send a few up before slamming them into the ground or tree branches.

"An angel!"

"What do we do?!"

"Get her!"

"Burn the house! Kill the boys!"

"Don't burn it down! My children are in there! My children!" Philza screams from where he lays on the ground, magic almost completely depleted. Niki panics and beats her wings to soar up high as her magic completely drains. She needs to land to recharge, but she isn't good at hand to hand combat.

"No! My children! Leave them alone!" He screams as one man rams a bat into his stomach.

Wilbur steps out of the house finally, his one arm is replaced with a sword that's longer than any she's seen him use in the past. Philza continues to plead for his son's lives, Niki swoops down and knocks the final hunter away from him by slamming him into a tree before swooping back up again.

"Wilbur! Cover Philza!" She yells as she dives down and grabs two of the hunters before swooping up and dropping them from probably a hundred or so feet. She dives back down to do the same but now that they've expected the dive bomb they raise their guns and fire. Niki is struck on her stomach and she tumbles, hitting the ground. There are only around four men left, but two rush over to her with ropes and pin her to the ground by her wings. She thrashes and screams, having no energy left for magic. The hunter's ready swords to slice her wings off. Wilbur lets out an inhumane scream and runs towards them, the other two men watching aim their guns at him, and even as they continuously shoot rounds into him he doesn't flinch. He slices the two men above Niki, using one slash to send them both to the ground. They don't move.

Wilbur turns around to look at the last two, one of the guards shakes as he whispers, "What the hell are you?"

"The last thing you'll ever see." He grins and dashes forwards, killing him with one slice to his throat. The final hunter shoots wildly at Wilbur who takes each hit but doesn't flinch. He jams his blade arm forward and the man crumbles to his knees, screaming as Wilbur rips the blade out and lets him bleed. Wilbur stumbles to Philza, collapsing near his father and murmuring prayers for him to wake up. Niki stumbles over and collapses, the ropes weighing her down as she starts to sob. Wilbur wraps an arm around her before he slumps forward, landing on an unconscious Philza. Niki cries until her body gives up.

—

Tubbo and Tommy slammed the door to the cabin shut behind them and Niki immediately rushed forwards to pick Tommy up and carry him to the side room where Wilbur was seated on the bed. She sits Tommy down on the bed and puts her hands on her head.

"Wilbur! We need to get them out of here, they're going to die." Niki lamented, wiping at her face as she looked outside to see the vines throwing men around.

"But if we go outside we'll give ourselves away! They'll try and kill us all, Niki!" Wilbur shouts back, looking down at his hand as if he was trying to make it disappear. Tommy scoots over to Tubbo and hisses as he moves his leg. Something must be broken. Tubbo wraps an arm around him and rubs his back.

Niki grabs Wilbur’s shoulders tightly and stares him in the eyes, "We don't have a choice Will, we can't let them die like this!"

"Niki do you think you can.. y'know, with the five of us." Wilbur motions to everyone and then out the window towards Philza, Tommy looks at both with confusion in his eyes. Niki shakes her head and Wilbur looks out the window with a grimace.

"I can't with all of us, it's too dangerous even just for us to go outside, but, I can get the boys out of here. Tubbo, Tommy, grab my hands."

"Niki!" Wilbur grabs her hands and she pulls herself away from him.

"I have to Wilbur! We can survive this fight! They cannot." She looks at him with anger in her eyes and he sighs, shaking his head as he leaves the room.

"Tubbo, Tommy, I have a friend in Manburg named Eret. He lives in a big castle with Rainbow flags on it, okay? Go to him and give him this." She takes off her necklace and clips it around Tubbo's neck, "He'll know what it means."

She holds her hands out to the boys and they take them before she closes her eyes. Slowly a light begins to form around her before two big, glowing, white wings fold out from behind her back. They stretch out partially and a vertigo feeling washes over Tommy. Tubbo already has his eyes closed so Tommy just follows his lead. The vertigo feeling grows extremely, to the point where Tommy isn't sure what direction he's facing or if he's laying down or sitting up anymore. By the time vertigo wears off and he blinks his eyes open he’s no longer in the cabin.

"Niki?" He squeezes where her hand was and there's nothing there. He looks over towards where she should be but she's gone. Panicked, he immediately turns towards where Tubbo had been sitting, to see him slowly getting up to a seated position.

"She..." Tubbo trails off.

"She teleported us..." Tommy blinks, trying to readjust his eyes to the outside light.

"Did you see her wings?!" Tubbo shouts, standing up, steadying himself before he starts looking around. Tommy stood shortly after, cracking his back as he looked around too.

"Angel wings. Pure white." He said, before looking back at Tubbo.

"Come on, let's walk down the path and see where we end up." Tubbo steps onto a wooden boardwalk and waits for Tommy, with a burning sensation in his leg he manages to climb up but after a few steps, he stops.

“I screwed up my knee or something, I can barely walk,” Tommy says some colorful words under his breath as he tries to put weight on it but feels a searing pain shoot through his leg.

“See having a metal--”

“Shut up and help me, Tubbo.” Tommy smacks his head and Tubbo laughs shortly, wrapping an arm under Tommy’s shoulders and walking alongside him. They end up going through a tunnel and down some stairs, walking along with some very big buildings in Manburg. They’d only been to this central city as children so it’s odd to see it again. 

Citizens and traders pay no mind to the very clearly out of town, injured, panicking children. Tubbo makes it to midtown, pulling Tommy off to the side of the path as he tries to find some sort of map or some directions. Suddenly Tommy turns and grabs something, scowling.

“Excuse me, I’d rather not have my bag stolen.” he snaps and the man puts his hands up.

“Alright alright, sorry.” The guy steps in front of them and extends a friendly hand, “The name’s Fundy.”

“Fundy? Well, It’s nice to meet you. I’m Tubbo, and that’s Tommy.” Tubbo notices his fox looking ears perk out from the sides of a black cap. They swivel slightly as his yellow eyes peer into Tubbo’s blue ones.

“You two are from outta town aren’t ya? Whatcha lookin’ round for?” Fundy asks with a gentle smile.

“The castle with the rainbow flags, we have a friend we need to meet there,” Tommy says simply, and Fundy nods.

“Well! Go up those stairs and walk down the long path, don’t turn at all, just go straight. You literally can’t miss it.” He grins, “Welp, I’ve gotta head out, may the old king bless you!”

“The old king?” But before Tubbo can get the words out, Fundy’s gone.

“Huh… let’s just go.”

____________________

  
  


Fundy was right, it was nearly impossible to miss the castle. It was huge. The windows held these huge rainbow flags that made Tommy blink to focus on. They were so bright, he wondered how they even dyed the fabric that color.

“Halt, who are you?” A male says, stopping his horse in front of the two. He’s wearing mostly black, with a white Government Guard uniform shirt and a bandana on.

“Uh, I’m Tubbo and that’s Tommy. We came here to meet Eret?” Tommy holds up the necklace and the guard leans down to look at it. He hums and nods.

“Dream, George, let me escort them in before we go meet up with the Chief, right?” The male on the horse says, Tubbo turns back to see two other men on horses. One with a white mask on his face wearing a green uniform shirt and black pants, the other wears a blue uniform shirt and jeans.

“Alright, Sap. Just don’t take forever.” The guy in the blue shirt chuckles.

‘Sap’ rolls his eyes and turns back to the two younger boys as he slips off his horse, “The name’s Sapnap. I’m a colonel with the Manburg Guards. Eret’s one of the main rulers of Manburg.” Subpoena begins to walk into the castle.

“It’s nice to meet you Sir Sapnap,” Tubbo says.

“Oh, you guys can just call me Sapnap, it’s not a big deal.” He grins as they begin to go up a flight of stairs. Sitting on a throne is a tall man, whose hands are folded as his head rests on them.

“My liege.” Sapnap kneels, dipping his head, before standing again, “two boys are here, asking for you.”

Eret nods and sits up fully, opening his eyes. They’re empty white, with no pupil or iris. Streaking down his face are white tears but he doesn’t look like he’s in pain, just a load of distress, “Sapnap,” he says, “You’re going to meet with your Chief in command, correct?”

“Yes, my liege.” Sapnap nods and Eret sighs.

“Godspeed, go.” Eret stands and even Tommy, who shocked Philza when he grew taller than him, seems small. Sapnap bows and quickly exits the room, running down the stairs.

“What may I help you with?” Eret walks over, his heeled black boots clicking on the tile. Tubbo holds out the necklace and the taller male leans over to inspect it. He nods sadly and runs a hand through his hair, looking around the room.

"I'm glad you two made it here safely. Niki must be in real distress if she had to teleport you two. Alright, c'mon. Let's get you guys some food, new clothes, and beds, yes?" Eret begins to walk off and the two boys limp after him.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Technoblade yanked on his horse's reins as soon as he saw the first body and the horse skidded to a stop, puffing at him. Huffing heavily, his tusks rubbing against his top lip, he continued. He could see vines slowly disintegrating and the trees squeaked as they shifted back to their natural state. Philza had definitely done some sort of spell work here.

“Sapnap, George, Dream, do a run check in the woods. Make sure no more hunters are here.” Techno orders, guiding his horse into a canter up the path. The three men behind him split off as told and let their horses gallop around the small paths in the forest.

“Philza? Wilbur? Niki?” Technoblade calls as he rides up to the house. Once in the clearing, his eyes finally focus on the massacre in front of him. Bodies strung on trees, hanging from vines, bloody and beaten on the floor. Some have been bashed, others sliced, others thrown, and made into kabobs. He noticed they’re all hunters and he hums lowly. His eyes gaze across the floor before he spots three familiar outfits, he immediately stops his horse and drops off as quickly as he can. His boots hurriedly slam against the dirt as he drops down next to Philza and shakes him.

“Philza? Dad?” He whispers, nudging him again. The teacher's shoulder rolls with every shake and he can hear something pop. He doesn’t even want to try and source where the cuts causing the pools of blood are from. When he gets no response from Phila, he tries Niki, who doesn’t even look like she’s breathing. She’s not in a much better state, though she clearly has fewer injuries. Techno assumes she passed out from lack of magic energy, as her angelic form has completely dropped. Not even her wings remain. When she only grunts as a reply, and he can’t get her to speak, he tries Wilbur. He’s the least injured, but his shirt is completely bloodied and torn with hundreds of bullet holes. He must’ve regenerated himself, Techno thinks, as he shakes Wilbur until the male groans, blinking his eyes open partially.

“Wilbur, where are the boys?” Techno asks immediately, not even waiting for Wilbur to wake up.

“Niki teleported… to Eret…” he wheezes. Techno nods and shifts him and Niki away from Philza. He needs to be put inside first, to hide his wings. He lifts him bridal style and uses a foot to open the cabin door. He stumbles in and sets Philza on the couch, grabbing his jacket off the hook and wrapping it around his back to hide the wings. As he walks back out he sees his three mentees ride up the path.

“Dream and George, grab the boy in the yellow sweater, Sapnap, help me with the woman.” Techno walks back over to where the three lay and grabs onto Niki’s arm to sit her up. She blinks and murmurs as Sapnap hoists her up. Glancing to his side as he lifts Niki’s arm around his shoulder he sees George and Dream balance a clearly unstable Wilbur between them. They lay Niki on the second couch in the cabin and lay Wilbur on the floor with some blankets and pillows from the boy's room.

“Stay on guard outside, I need to make a call.” Techno nods to his mentees who follow his order and leave the room. The chief sighs and hangs his blue cape up, pulling out his phone and dialing a number. He pauses and clicks his tongue before grinning as the call is answered, 

“Fundy. I need your help at the cabin.”


End file.
